Under the Blood Red Moon
by Lamenting Fox
Summary: Hiei's been demonnapped! But why? Can Touya save him in time? Shonenai TxH. Read and review!
1. Taken!

Fox: This story takes place sometime after the end of the series, or so I assume. I don't really know.

Kyff: You don't know when your own story happens? What kind of writer are you, anyway?  
Fox: _-growls menacingly-_ A damn good one. Anything else you'd like to say?

Kyff:_ -meekly-_ No.

Fox: Good. Now if I may continue...

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho._ -sniffle-_ Or Hiei and Touya._ -cries-_

Don't read this story if you're highly allergic to and/or dislike: Shonen-ai, blood, death, despair, and complete and utter mush. Mwahahahaa!

Kyff: Don't mind her, she's just a bit...unbalanced at times.

Fox: _-glances up from sharpening daggers-_ Hey! What do you MEAN unbalanced!

Kyff: _-wide eyes- _Uh oh. -_flees-

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CHAPTER 1:  
Taken!

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_Damn fools,_ he thought as he flitted through the trees at a furious pace, putting ever more distance between himself and the rowdy party still going on inside Genkai's temple. The more observant of the Makai birds squawked in irritation as the passing black blur momentarily disturbed their safe, peaceful nests; most didn't notice his passing at all. _Where do they get off talking like that? _Hiei fumed._ Calling me Mukuro's lapdog. I am no one's lapdog! _Everyone had joined together to make fun of Hiei's position as ruler-in-training in the Makai, even taking it so far as to compare him to Koenma. He was heir to nearly a third of the demon world and one of the most feared demons ever to exist, a Forbidden Child, not some circus clown to be laughed at! Even Kurama, his most trusted friend, had joined the others in taunting him. The only one who hadn't said anything was the ice master, Touya. _Not that I would mind being in _his_ lap._

Hiei froze in mid-leap. Where the hell had that come from? He stood, balanced on a branch high above the ground, contemplating this unexpected thought.

Sure, he admired the ice apparition's complete mastery of his element. And he did have to admit that Touya was good-looking, especially as far as demons went (he'd seen some pretty nasty looking demons before), especially with those beautiful blue eyes, eyes that he could get lost in, drowning in the glittering blue depths...Hiei shook his head. Was he developing...feelings for Touya? He snorted in disgust. Impossible. Only weak demons and stupid ningens felt love. What he was feeling was simple lust, nothing more.

_Are you so sure about that?_ a nagging voice asked from the back of his mind.

_Of course I am! _He thought back angrily. _I'm the forbidden child, I'm not allowed to love or be loved. It just doesn't work that way._

_But what if you're wrong?_ the voice insisted. _Have you ever tried to love anyone? Have you ever allowed anyone to get close to that hardened heart of yours, Hiei?_

_No,_ he admitted.

_Why not?_

Hiei sighed. That was a good question. Why hadn't he ever allowed anyone to get close? He supposed it was because he was afraid of being hurt the way he was when he was thrown off the floating koorime island. Not physically, of course. He could handle any amount of physical pain. It was the emotional hurt that had destroyed him, left him untrusting of the world, uncaring of anyone but himself and his sister.

_Ah, Yukina. If I could tell you who I am, could you help batter down this stone barrier around my heart? _he mused. _Is it possible for me to love? Am I capable of willingly producing such a weakness?_

Without warning, a heavy weight slammed into his back. Hiei grunted in surprise as he slipped from the branch, already mentally berating himself for his carelessness. He should have noticed any approaching demon from miles away, but he had failed and let his concentration wander elsewhere. _This is why you aren't supposed to feel any emotions, you idiot!_

Hiei somersaulted in the air and landed deftly on his feet, immediately falling into a fighting stance. He looked up at the branch where he had been only moments before. In his place stood an ugly demon with purple-gray skin, stringy brown hair, and a misshapen face filled with malice. Two more demons leapt out of the bushes to his right, different from the one on the branch above but equally ugly, brandishing sharp knives. Three more appeared out of the bushes to his left, and together they formed a circle around him. _So,_ he thought with amusement, _six against one. This looks promising._

His sword, broken yet again in his most recent fight, was being repaired, so he had no weapons other than his own demonic powers. Gathering his ki, he focused it into one hand to prepare his sword of the darkness flame. To his complete shock, nothing happened. He looked down at his arm and saw a thin white strip plastered to the skin. Glancing at his other arm and then his legs, he saw more of the innocent-looking strips. _Dammit! How could I allow myself to be warded so easily? _His ki flared with his fury.

Angrily, he tore off the ward covering his Jagan eye. He hated to use it, but...he didn't have much choice. He didn't have the patience to beat all of the demons into submission, and he wanted to find out why they were attacking him. Any half-sane demon without a death wish knew to stay far away from Hiei and his nasty temper. He opened his Jagan eye slightly, but slammed it shut again as he felt a blinding pain shoot through his entire body like lightning.

_Oh...gods..._ he thought. _What in the hell was that?_ Deciding to try the direct approach, Hiei flitted over to the nearest demon and broke his neck with one blow to the face. He took out three more before the leader, laughing, snapped his fingers. The wards tightened against his skin and the forest swam in front of his eyes.

_What is...this?_ Hiei was thoroughly confused. Luckily he didn't have time to contemplate the strange wards because in the next instant everything went black.

Touya bid his friends a last farewell just as the sun was beginning to set and stepped into the portal leading to the Makai. He had not been able to take much enjoyment from the party since Hiei left, and he finally decided it would be best if he returned to his home in the demon world before he ruined anyone else's night with his gloomy mood. He could celebrate the winter solstice elsewhere.

In truth, he was quite worried about the little fire demon. He had stormed out nearly an hour before, an expression of wicked anger on his handsome features. Touya knew the others did not mean any harm by their teasing, but he could also see that Hiei had not handled it well. Unlike most demons, Touya had another kind of power--empathy, the ability to sense emotions--coupled with his spirit awareness. He generally kept this ability a secret. It had saved his life more than once, and he was unwilling to give up such a useful defense. He felt the power of Hiei's rage when he left, and was afraid he would get into trouble. Angry demons were not known for their caution, and the winter solstice had the odd effect of amplifying already strong emotions in demons.

That was another reason Touya left. His feelings for Hiei were so intense that it hurt.

He was deep in the heart of a Makai forest when he felt Hiei's ki flare up in anger and--fear? No, not quite fear, but he did sense some unease. _Hiei, what have you gotten yourself into now? _He debated whether or not to turn and go in the direction he felt Hiei's ki coming from, but thought better of it. _He will only think I am a nuisance. I am sure he can handle it,_ he decided. The ice master had taken only a few steps when he felt something that made his blood run cold. He felt a flash of agony from Hiei, followed by confusion, and then...nothing.

"Oh, no," he whispered. "Hiei!"

Touya bolted through the forest, unsure of whether or not he was going the right way because he could no longer feel Hiei's energy. He felt nothing. He felt nothing at all from the fire demon, and it scared him.

He could well imagine what had happened. Hiei was furious at his teammates for picking on him. He wouldn't bother fighting them because most of them were drunk, and it would have been a pitiful fight. Touya had actually had very little to drink, but he, of course, had not been part of the group taunting Hiei. He would never willingly hurt Hiei in such a way. Finding no suitable way to release his anger among his teammates, Hiei left for the Makai, and tangled with the first demon he found.

And judging by what he found in the clearing, Touya was willing to say that Hiei had lost. Shattered branches and shredded leaves were everywhere. Still with death, four hideous demons were twisted into unnatural positions on the ground. Blood was splattered on the trees.

A flash of white caught his eye. Stepping gingerly over the carnage, Touya knelt down and picked up the small cloth. _Is this a ward?_ He wondered. He brought the cloth to his nose and inhaled. It was definitely Hiei's scent, the unmistakable mixture of trees and wind, but he found no other traces of the demon. Why would Hiei be wandering around without one of his wards? Unless...unless he had been carried off while he was trying to use his Jagan eye or his dragon._ Dammit, Hiei, I had better be wrong about this!_

Touya stood and closed his eyes, sending his awareness out into the surrounding forest. He searched for several minutes without finding a single demon. _How unusual,_ he thought. _I don't even sense any low-class demons, and they are usually numerous enough to be a plague._

He finally found what he was looking for when a faint trace of Hiei's ki reached his senses. He was unconscious, so it was hard to judge how injured he was. Hiei's body was moving away at a rapid pace, so Touya was certain that he was being carried, yet he did not sense any other demons. _They must be masking their ki,_ he decided. _But what would they want with Hiei?_

He sighed and opened his eyes. He had to get moving or else he would lose them.

_Relax. Hiei will be fine. He is a strong demon,_ he told himself in the hopes of quelling the knot of fear that weighed heavily in his stomach. As he set off at a ground-eating lope, Touya wondered again about the identities of Hiei's captors and their hidden plans for Hiei. _I only hope that I do not find him too late._


	2. The Determining Factor

Fox: Sorry my chapters are so short. It sucks. This story was really something of an experiment--I wanted to see if I could actually _finish_ a story once I started it.

Kyff: Hell must have frozen over because you did. Not only that, but it took you only a week, working every day in that useless class you call study hall.

Fox: _-glares at Kyff-_ Anyway, this story will be only five chapters long. It's already done and on my computer, it's just a matter of finding the time to update that's going to be hard. I should be doing my English project right now...and my chemistry essays, and the government paper...or at the _very least _the calculus homework... _-shrugs_- Eh, whatever.

Kyff: Neither Fox nor I own any part of Yu Yu Hakusho. _-pointedly ignores the hysterical sobbing in the background-

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CHAPTER 2:  
The Determining Factor

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Dark oblivion, cold and silent. Hiei drifted in a pain-filled haze, floating in and out of the blackness of unconsciousness. In his few moments of lucidity, he wondered briefly whether or not anyone would come to help him. Briefly, because it would be months before anyone noticed his disappearance at all. Briefly, because the forbidden child had no true friends to worry about him when he was in trouble. No one would come for him. He was alone now, as he had always been, as he would always be. 

Eventually, though he couldn't tell how much time had passed in the blackness, the fog in his mind dissipated. Dull crimson eyes opened slowly. He was in a sitting position, his neck bent back and his head on his shoulders, face upturned toward the sky as if awaiting divine judgement from above. All he could see was a starry night sky behind a blood red moon. _Yes, what a great omen for an injured demon to see, _Hiei thought sarcastically. _What did Kurama call it when the moon turns red? Lunar eclipse. It must be a lunar eclipse._

The caressing warm glow of firelight touched his skin. He tried to turn his head to search for the source of the fire, but he could move only far enough to see the high, dead branches of a tree off to his right. He felt weak and tired, and had the sudden urge to let his mind drift back to the welcoming darkness. Just how much blood had he lost? His wounds were throbbing in pain. Gathering his strength, he tried to shift into a more comfortable position, and found that his hands were bound together around a long metal stake firmly embedded in the ground behind him. That same stake was the only thing holding him upright. "Damn," he swore softly, letting his head fall back again.

Footsteps crunched over the ground and stopped in front of him. Too weary even to glare defiantly at his captor, Hiei settled for a menacing growl.

A deep laugh floated over to him on the night breeze. It would almost have been charming if it hadn't been coming from the demon Hiei knew was responsible for his capture. "Growl all you want, little demon. It won't do you any good. In a matter of hours, you will be bleeding upon Lord Makiko's altar, your life in exchange for another year of security for us." A purple-gray hand came into view as the demon grabbed a handful of Hiei's obsidian hair and forced the fire demon to look him in the eyes, ugly yellow eyes filled with arrogance and hatred.

"Don't bother trying to fight it, my friend. You're slowly dying from the poisoning wards anyway. In the end, you'll prefer a quick death." The laugh came again and Hiei's anger rose up, giving him strength he didn't know he still possessed. He lunged, sharp fangs sinking into the tough flesh of the demon he now recognized as the one who had knocked him off the tree to begin with. The long, greasy hair and mottled skin were unmistakable.

He yelled in pain and jerked his damaged arm away, eyes seething with rage. He snapped an unintelligible order at some point behind Hiei's head, to a demon he called Tetsu. An equally unintelligable voice responded, and Hiei realized they were speaking in a Makai dialect that even he could not understand. It sounded like an argument.

Out of nowhere, a fist smashed into his face and his vision exploded into flashes of color.

He felt his head being jerked around again. Through the spots he saw the face of the purple-gray demon swim into view, a twisted smile on his disgusting features. "Before you die, useless demon trash, I want you to remember the name of the one who will gladly slice you from head to toe for Lord Makiko. My name," he snarled, "is Rono." This time it was Rono who hit him, grinning savagely as the blow connected, and the world went black once more.

Touya was close now. He could smell the scent of wood smoke coming from where the demons must have camped out. The fact that they made a camp at all worried him. The Shinobi were honorable, never murdering a bound and weakened opponent but instead fighting them face to face, even at the cost of their own lives. Risho was the one exception, the one dark stain on the Shinobi's noble history. Touya had learned well from his vicious leader about the ways of the dishonorable. He knew the torture would begin when Hiei's captors believed their camp to be safe and secure.

He slowed his pace and crept through the forest with caution. The moon, full and red, lit his way through the trees. _A crimson moon... The blood of a powerful demon will be spilled tonight._ He shrugged, a useless movement because no one was around to see it. _Just so long as it is not Hiei's blood, I do not care._

Touya found a thick, tall tree and scaled up to a high branch. Using his catlike grace and stealth, he leapt from tree to tree until he was overlooking the clearing that held the demon camp. He kept his ki completely masked as he watched and listened to the activity below.

Just under a dozen demons of various species occupied the temporary settlement, though Touya was certain that more were on sentry duty and thus hidden from view.

The glare from the fire was so intense after the quiet darkness of the forest that at first he didn't see Hiei chained and staked to the ground a few feet away from the dancing flames. He was badly beaten and terribly weak, his head lolling back on his shoulders.

A dusty purple demon stood in front of him laughing. "Growl all you want, little demon. It won't do you any good. In a matter of hours, you will be bleeding upon Lord Makiko's altar, your life in exchange for another year of security for us." He stepped forward and grabbed a handful of Hiei's spiky black hair, forcing the fire demon's head into a level position so he could look into his eyes. "Don't bother trying to fight it, my friend. You're slowly dying from the poisoning wards anyway. In the end, you'll prefer a quick death."

Touya started involuntarily. Poisoning wards?

He examined Hiei more closely, and discovered with horror the wards placed on his arms and legs. _Poor Hiei. He must be in terrible pain. _He frowned. _This is not good. If I do not get them off of him soon, Hiei is as good as gone._

He thought of losing Hiei, and for a moment he couldn't breathe. _No,_ he told himself. _No, I will not let him die. Not until I tell him how I feel. He deserves at least that much._

Touya saw his love lunge forward and tear at Rono's fleshy arm with his fangs, defiant even in the face of death, and it was as if his teeth were slashing at the ice master's heart instead. _Hiei..._

The ugly demon was speaking again, but Touya was no longer interested in what he had to say. He was planning the rescue of his beloved, and his revenge on the demon scum who captured him. His distant mind caught and locked onto one sentence as it reached his ears, breaking through the cloud of thoughts and plans.

"My name is Rono."

_Rono, is it? Very well,_ Touya thought coldly. _You will be the one, then, to die for hurting my Hiei._

And when he smiled, the look in his eyes was not altogether sane.

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There you go, a very short (but longer than the first) chapter for your reading pleasure. 

Thanks to my reviewers (all two of you!):  
Dragon Tamer103088  
jai

And for the rest of you...review, dammit! Review NOW!


	3. Angel in Disguise

Fox: Look! I'm abandoning my homework yet again!  
Kyff: Is that supposed to surprise anyone? Honestly, I wonder how you pass your classes at all.  
Fox: Sheer luck. Hehe.  
Kyff: Mistress Fox does not own any members of Yu Yu Hakusho present in this story.  
Fox: I DO own Rono, Tetsu, and the burnt/bloodied/dismembered corpses of the demons who follow them.  
Kyff: She's quite proud of that.

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CHAPTER 3:  
Angel in Disguise

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The trees quivered in the night breeze. Rono patrolled his camp once again, growing restless as time went by. They were lucky to find another demon to sacrifice so close to the solstice ritual. All of the low-class demons had fled the area days ago, and the last three sacrifices were stolen by other tribes. 

Tetsu and the others blamed him, he knew, but it wasn't his fault. Demons everywhere were going crazy with bloodlust, and it was all because of the red moon. Once every thirteen thousand years in the Makai, the full moon turned a crimson red on the night of the winter solstice. There were legends that told of certain demons attaining ultimate power if they were drenched in the blood of their enemies while the moon was high in the sky. Thousands had already perished in the battle for power, and thousands more would join them by night's end.

Rono didn't care about all of that. This solstice was no different than any other for him. He just wanted a sacrifice for Lord Makiko so he could continue to live without the fear that other demons felt. Lord Makiko would continue to protect him as long as he continued to perform sacrifices in the demon lord's name.

They would not be able to reach the temple in time, but it didn't matter as long as they brought the bloody heart of the demon back with them. An altar was erected near the base of a gnarled old tree, and all of the needed supplies were waiting nearby. They simply had to wait until the moon reached its zenith, and they could begin the ritual.

He completed his second circuit around the camp and decided it was time to prepare the prisoner for his death. He stopped at the altar long enough to place the blade of the ritual dagger in a steaming pot of black liquid. _Perfect. Now all that needs to be done is read the sacrifice._ A noise from the forest interrupted his thoughts, cut off before he could recognize what it was that he just heard.

A little uneasy, he called to the sentry hidden in the woods nearby, and waited for a response. He heard nothing. Sprinting to the other side of the camp, he tried again, but none of the demons guarding the camp answered his frantic calls.

The rest of the demons in his band were beginning to mutter amongst themselves, either questioning his sanity or in fear of whatever was making Rono panic.

"Leader, what is it that troubles you?" Tetsu asked from behind him. Rono turned to see the pale green demon looking at him curiously. His long black hair, pulled back into a high pony tail, was streaming out to one side in the whisper of wind. His beautiful golden eyes were filled with wisdom and patience. They were eyes that could see through outer appearances to the very depths of the soul, yet revealed nothing. He felt dirty when he looked into those eyes, like looking into the eyes of a god, all-knowing and pure. He hated those damn eyes.

The others, though never openly showing any dissent, couldn't understand why Rono was the leader of their band instead of the charming Tetsu, but it was always quite clear to him. Tetsu was too calm, had no stomach for killing, and was such a terrible leader that he couldn't lead the way to water if he fell out of a boat. He wasn't half the demon that Rono was.

Rono opened his mouth to respond when a scream erupted from the woods. The last of the sentries stumbled into the clearing. He spotted Rono and turned pleading eyes on him. "M'lord," he gasped. "We have to leave. Forget the ritual, he'll kill us all if we stay! He--"

His words were cut short when a thick icicle shot straight through the back of his neck. He stood for a moment more, blood bubbling out of the corners of his mouth, before collapsing to the ground in a pool of his own blood.

Rono glanced at Tetsu, but his stone mask revealed no emotion.

Without a sound, a petite, blue-haired ice demon emerged from the trees to stand in the pool of blood. The blade of ice extending from his right arm was stained a glistening red with the blood of the others, and his eyes glittered with cold anger. Frost began to spread the moment his feet touched the ground, and quickly covered nearly everything in the clearing. Ice grew on the trees, thick and heavy, and the branches dipped with the extra weight, groaning their complaint. Somewhere behind him, several limbs snapped off and crashed to the ground, narrowly avoiding the trembling demons huddled below them. The fire sputtered as it struggled to fight the unnatural cold.

Utter terror swept through him so quickly it drained his strength and left him dizzy. He sank to his knees, knowing down to his very core that he was going to die.

The ice demon moved toward him determinedly. One of his band tried to intercept him, swinging an axe over his head with the fury born of fear. The blue-haired demon cut him down with only one swing of his ice sword, his eyes never leaving Rono. Three more rushed him, but Tetsu ordered them to stop.

Even through his terror, he felt his indignation arise. How dare Tetsu order around _his_ underlings? But all coherent thoughts faded from his mind when the ice demon stopped in front of him. He looked down at Rono with those cold, cold eyes, and all he could think about was how wickedly sharp that blade looked glinting in the firelight...

"Ready to die?" he growled and raised his sword.

The coppery tang of blood drifted through the darkness. Hiei heard, as if from far away, a scream, and the sound of a body crashing into the ground. Shouts. The scent of fear and sweat. A familiar presence, bright and pure, beckoned to him. It pushed away the haze in his mind, and all at once he could see, hear, and feel again. _Could have done without feeling all of this,_ he thought. His ribs ached, his head pounded, and his raspy breathing was erratic and tasted of blood.

The explosions of color and movement dizzied him, and he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, all he could see was a luminescent ball of cold fire. He blinked. His blurred vision came suddenly into sharp focus. He looked again to where the ball of shining light had been, the light that had enticed his mind from unconsciousness, and saw Touya.

Hiei gasped in pure shock. He had never seen the ice master so angry. If looks could kill, he could easily have incinerated half the Makai by now. As it was, he was obviously on a killing spree. Frost and ice coated every surface except the fire and the demons themselves. Blood stained every piece of clothing he wore, and his sword of ice was as crimson as the moon above. He was even standing in a dark pool of the liquid, and Hiei could swear he was still faintly glowing.

_Is that his ki I'm seeing? No, it can't be. That kind of power would make him stronger than even Sensui or the Toguros!_

Hiei caught sight of Rono as he collapsed to his knees, and he felt a thrill of satisfaction at seeing the demon filth so terrified of Touya, who was now making his way toward Rono. He cut down one demon without so much as misstep, and Hiei was awed by this side of the ice master he had never seen before.

One of his guards finally noticed he was awake and greeted him by backhanding him in the face. Through the spots of light dancing in front of his eyes yet again, Hiei saw Touya stop in front of Rono and raise his ice sword. The guard backhanded him a second time and his sight left him. "Ready to die?" he heard Touya ask Rono coldly. The third time the guard hit him, the world spun and he fell back into darkness.

Thanks to my reviewers for the last chapter:  
The Forbidden Fox  
Dragon Tamer103088

Two reviews a chapter! Not bad considering this is the first fic I've ever posted. Fox is happy_. -grins-_


	4. Gifts of Blood

Fox: And she strikes again! Mwahaha!  
Kyff: Stop that, you'll scare all of the reviewers away!  
Fox: Hmph. I will not. _-pouts-  
_Kyff: Hiei and Touya and all other original characters of YYH do not belong to Fox.

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CHAPTER 4:  
Gifts of Blood

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"Ice master Touya," a voice called, soft and smooth as silk.

Touya paused. He glanced up, finding the source of the voice in a pale green demon he vaguely remembered as the one he had seen arguing with Rono earlier. Tetsu, Rono had called him. He was faintly surprised that someone had recognized him. He was not as well known in the Makai as Yoko Kurama was because he tended to stay out of the public spotlight, clinging to shadows as if he were a shadow himself.

The elegant demon met his cool gaze levelly, his eyes warm and serene. "You desire the death of the demon in front of you because he hurt your friend, correct? The one bound by the fire?"  
Touya remained silent, still with his sword raised above Rono, ready to rain down vengeance at any given moment. Far off in the distance, the sky grumbled with the noise of an approaching storm.

"I will assume your silence to be affirmation of this fact. I would make you an offer, then. Take the forbidden child. If you still desire revenge, I will give you the honor of performing our ritual for us. All you must do is cut out our dear Rono's heart using this," he held up a sharp-bladed dagger dripping with a black liquid that sizzled when it touched the ground, and Rono paled in shock.

Touya started a little. _Forbidden child? How does he know Hiei is the forbidden child?_ He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. _This must be a trick. If he knows who Hiei is, he knows how valuable he is. He would not give up such a priceless demon so easily._

"Ah, I see you do not trust me. You are even wiser than I would have guessed," he laughed with delight. "I swear to you, ice master, on my honor, there is no catch to my bargain. I do not wish the fire demon any harm. It was entirely accidental that our band crossed paths with him. Rono was our intended sacrifice from the very start."

"Y-You bastard! How--" Rono sputtered. Tetsu ended the noise with a swift backhand to the demon's face.

"And the poisoning wards?" Touya asked, choosing to ignore the outburst from the doomed demon.

"Being removed as we speak." Tetsu gestured toward the fire with a graceful wave of his arm. Touya's gaze shifted over to Hiei, now unchained and on his back, but still unconscious. An indistinguishable shadow he assumed was a demon silhouetted against the fire knelt by Hiei's side. His glowing hands were outstretched over the still form, and Touya could see each of the wards peeling slowly back from Hiei's skin.

"They have been on for quite a while, so it may be some time before he awakens," Tetsu said sadly.

Touya lowered his sword of ice. "All I want is Hiei," he said softly, his eyes still on the body of his beloved. "Do what you will with your own."

This statement seemed to wake Rono from the shock he had fallen into at the sudden violence from his, by all appearances, peaceful comrade. "You scum," he spat. "How could you betray me after all I've done for you? You'll never be half the leader I am!" Two demons moved to their old leader's side and held him still as Tetsu approached.

"Betray you? How could I betray you? It was you who underestimated me." He knelt before Rono with a deceptively pleasant smile on his face and a hard gleam in his golden eyes. A pale green hand reached out to caress a dusty purple cheek. "My dear, stupid friend," he sighed. His hand slid down and wrapped itself firmly around Rono's throat. He leaned forward to whisper the last words Rono would ever hear as thunder began to rumble above. "I will always be more than twice the leader I made you."

With lightning speed, Tetsu plunged the steaming dagger into Rono's chest, twisting it until a gaping hole appeared. When he finished, only the hilt of the dagger was left. The blade had somehow dissolved inside of the twitching demon's body. Tetsu reached into Rono's chest cavity and pulled out the heart, black as pitch and still beating. He stood and held it high above his head.

"Hear me, Lord Makiko!" He shouted to the sky as it crashed and boomed. "Your last servant will be your last sacrifice. We will bow to you no longer. With his death, so will your power weaken and die. Know that we will come for you. Vengeance will be ours!" He crushed the heart in his hand, blood raining down all over his green robes. Lightning struck nearby, and rain began to pour from the sky in streaming torrents, the droplets crimson in the eerie moonlight.

All was silent for several moments, but then Tetsu spoke, staring at the blood-soaked ground as if seeing it for the first time. "He was a coward, a weak fool. He thought he was better than the demons who slaughter for power or fun, but he was no different. His murders were committed for selfish reasons as well. So should his own life end."

He looked up at Touya suddenly, his golden eyes intense even through the sheets of rain. "I have great respect for you, Shinobi ice master Touya. You are not like the rest of us. I hope you continue to lead that honorable life." He motioned to one of his followers, who gently picked up Hiei's still form and placed the light burden in Touya's arms. "Leave with your life and your love intact, Touya, and know that you will always have an ally among the Second Sight clan."

It was just past dawn. The solstice was over, and so was the storm. Touya reclined in the thick grass on the bank of a river, idly trailing patterns through the water with one hand. Hiei lay nearby, curled close to the dying fire, sleeping peacefully. His breathing was soft and even, no longer the shallow, choking gasps that had been coming from the small body when Tetsu had released them both. Touya's healing abilities were minimal, but he had done all he could to help Hiei recover faster and ease his discomfort. He had also replaced the ward on Hiei's Jagan eye, and cleaned the drying blood from them both.

Touya thought about Tetsu and sighed. _The Second Sight clan, _he mused. _How fortunate that we did not end up enemies._ The Second Sight clan was a tribe of demons with mental abilities that far surpassed Hiei's Jagan eye. They could read even the most guarded mind with ease, and most of the tribe communicated only through telepathy. They could rip apart a demon's mind with a single glance. They were also so secretive that few of the demons who saw them lived to tell the tale.

_And to learn that they are now sworn enemies to one of the Makai's most powerful demon overlords..._ He frowned. _I must find a way to convince Hiei to stay away from the Makai for a while. A great war is coming, and he will surely be swept up in it if Mukuro has her way. For all that he is her heir, she does not seem to mind risking his death._

A light moan caught Touya's attention. His head whipped around so quickly that he felt his neck crack. Hiei was sitting up, holding his head and grimacing in pain.

Touya smiled in sympathy. _At least you are safe, my love.

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_

Fox: One more chapter to go.

Kyff: That's it? You should have made it longer!  
Fox: Oh hush. There was no elaborate plot, and you can't drag on a story without an elaborate plot! I'll save that for the next one.

Kyff: Thank you to all of Fox's reviewers because you help keep her in good spirits (along with her current music: "The Coachman" by Michael Longcor. It's such a...an interesting song...)

Thank you, you charming reviewers you!  
Dragon Tamer103088  
The Forbidden Fox


	5. Is Love Forbidden?

Fox: Well since you asked so nicely...I present you with the last chapter!  
Kyff: Fox does not own--  
Fox: We get it already!

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CHAPTER 5:  
Is Love Forbidden?

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Hiei opened his eyes in time to catch a smile playing on Touya's lips. His gaze was soft and kind, and Hiei felt a light warmth spread through his body. He was blushing! He, Hiei, the forbidden child with a heart of stone, was blushing! 

Irritated and surprised by his body's obvious betrayal of him, he did the only thing he could do to make that stupid smile disappear. He lashed out.

"What?" he snapped. Croaked would have described it more accurately. His eyes widened at the sound of his own voice.

Touya erupted into laughter, falling onto his back in the grass and gasping for breath. Hiei's face burned. When the giggles died down and he was able to speak again, Touya turned onto his side to face Hiei, his head propped up on one hand. It was a very seductive pose. Hiei clenched his teeth. He must be fairly glowing by now.

"How do you feel, Hiei?"

"Fine," he ground out.

"Oh?" Touya arched one delicate eyebrow. "So you do _not_ feel as if your insides have been ripped out and shredded? I was not aware that any demon could handle poisoning wards so well," he teased.

"Hn." _No, _Hiei thought, _if my insides feel that way it is because of you, Touya. Why is it that you unsettle me?_

For several seconds, neither spoke, but it was a comfortable silence.

Hiei stretched out on his back, enjoying the soft ground more than he would have liked to admit. It was peaceful by this river, but he was still troubled.

"Touya?" he called.

"Yes, Hiei?" the silky voice responded, heavily laced with exhaustion.

Hiei glanced over in surprise. "Haven't you slept at all?" he asked in disbelief. Touya hadn't moved, but his eyes were half-closed and his head was sinking slowly to the ground.

"No, not yet," he murmured. "I wanted to make sure you were healing well first."

Hiei looked away, overcome with an unexplainable guilt. "Why did you bother coming after me? You couldn't possibly have gained anything by helping me."

Ice-blue eyes opened sleepily. "I was not expecting to gain anything, Hiei. I came after you because I knew you needed help, whether you will admit that or not."

"You looked so angry. Why were you angry?"

"I..." Touya sighed and shifted a little. "I was angry because they hurt you."

"But why did that make you angry?" Hiei persisted, sitting up once again. "No one's supposed to care if I'm hurt. I am...unimportant."

Touya bolted upright. "How can you say that?" he snapped, eyes blazing with fury.

Hiei tried to keep the pain from his voice and expression as he spoke, carefully avoiding the ice master's eyes. "Have you forgotten what I am, Touya? I'm the forbidden child. I'm not even supposed to exist."

To anyone else, Hiei would have seemed apathetic, but Touya felt the pain hiding beneath the emotionless mask. "I'm not even supposed to exist."

Touya's anger drained away, and he was left with a deep pain in his heart. _Is this how Hiei feels?_ To his immense surprise, tears welled up, threatening to overflow.

He stood and walked the short distance to Hiei, dropping to his knees beside the forbidden child, the body in which fire and ice defied all natural laws and became one. Wordlessly, he wrapped his arms around Hiei's shoulders and pulled him to his chest. Touya felt Hiei's fear as he tensed, but after a few moments he relaxed against Touya's body and returned the embrace.

At that point, the only emotions Touya could feel were his own. He buried his face in Hiei's neck, not caring in the least if his tears were trickling down the other's soft skin. "Perhaps the reason you are forbidden, Hiei," he said through his tears, "is because you are so perfect. I...I love you, Hiei."

"I love you, Hiei."

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Hiei gasped and his eyes widened in shock. _He loves me? But...how? Why?_

Touya continued to cling to him, oblivious to the flood of emotions rampaging through the fire demon.

_Dammit! Who cares why or how? What does it matter? I didn't ask to be the forbidden child, I didn't ask to be hated for the crime of existing! I deserve love as much as anyone else!_

And he felt it, too. He knew that now. He loved Touya.

Hiei swallowed hard. "Touya...I..."

He tried again, but found he couldn't speak. The words wouldn't come.

"Dammit!" He growled savagely. Touya jumped and pulled back to look at Hiei with concern. Hiei tore off the ward over his Jagan, forcing the eye open even though he was not yet fully healed. He sent everything he was feeling directly into Touya's mind, something he had never done with anyone before.

Touya would, if he desired to do so, be able to see everything in Hiei's mind, not only his emotions, but his thoughts and memories as well. For the first time in his life and completely of his own free will, Hiei was letting down every last one of his barriers for someone. And he was terrified.

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Touya yelped in pain and shock. The strength of Hiei's emotions dizzied him and made his vision hazy. He started to slump sideways, but Hiei caught him and held him upright.

He felt Hiei's doubt, pain and fear. But more powerful than even those emotions, he felt Hiei's love for him. It was intoxicating, and he drank it in, drowning in the sea of it. His mind brushed Hiei's and he picked up a single thought from the fire demon. _I love you._

The emotions faded as Hiei's Jagan eye closed, but Touya could still sense them. He opened his eyes. He was still in Hiei's arms, and he met the crimson-eyed gaze without fear.

For several long seconds, they sat in breathless silence, lost in the depths of each other's eyes. Touya leaned forward and pressed his lips against Hiei's. He draped one arm around Hiei's shoulders and stroked his neck, putting just as much emotion into the kiss as he had felt from Hiei's mind. Hiei responded by tightening his arms around the ice master, pulling him closer.

They finally broke apart, needing air. Touya rested his forehead against Hiei's, and smiled. There was plenty to be done, of course. He would eventually have to return to the Ningenkai to complete various tasks, most of them for Master Genkai, and Hiei would have to report back to Mukuro, but he decided not to worry about any of that just yet. He was with his Hiei, his firefly, and nothing else mattered

_His_ Hiei.

He liked the sound of that.

-Fin-

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Fox: Thanks for staying with my pitifully short story. I realize now that I didn't make the POV switches all that clear in the other chapters. My apologies. I meant to, and I kind of...forgot. Oops. Hehe.

Until we dream again, ta!


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